Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 23 (IANS): Four days after the Kerala High Court rapped the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the delay in recovery of damages from banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the Kerala government on Friday tendered an unconditional apology for the lapse.

The state had informed the court that the total damage caused to properties across the state had come to Rs 5.20 crore during the flash shutdown called by the PFI on September 23 to protest the arrest of their top brass by Central agencies the previous day.

On Friday, the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) V.Venu, who was asked to be present before the court, tendered the apology for the delay.

He also explained the various steps that the government had taken to recover the damages and while agreeing to see that all the steps for recovery will be done before January 15th and requested a time for a month to complete all the procedures.

The court pointed out that the state government should take a strict stand against those who engage in public property destruction and posted the case to a later date.

Incidentally, it was the division bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice C.P. Mohammed Nias took suo motu cognisance of the proceedings against the PFI and directed all the lower courts, wherever the cases have been registered, to see that no one from it should be given bail unless the compensation is paid.

If the compensation is not paid, then steps should be taken to confiscate personal assets of all those who indulged in the destruction, it said.